Acclaimed Workforce brings industry, employers, government and training providers together to develop training programs that bridge key skill gaps in Australia.
Originating in regional areas to address major skill shortages in wine, agricultural and horticulture, this program has extended across our areas of specialisation to provide tailored solutions in regional and metropolitan areas.
Each training program is developed to meet a specific need, whether centred around a region, industry or employer.
The key reasons tailored training and upskilling programs are developed include:
In September 2019, Acclaimed Workforce (formerly Cozwine) worked with De Bortoli Wines in Griffith to design and implement a successful four-week National Work Experience Program (NWEP) training program.
Through the Employment Support Payment Scheme, participants worked a maximum 25 hours per week inclusive of training, at no cost to De Bortoli Wines.
The result: a 75% success rate for participants, with two securing permanent jobs at De Bortoli Wines.
The Context
Youth unemployment is significantly higher than overall unemployment figures in Australia, particularly in regionals areas like Griffith. In agricultural regions, a key driver of youth unemployment is a lack of entry level skills. For the wine industry specifically, entry level training requirements often include safety, manual handling, dangerous goods and confined spaces training, for example. Furthermore, there is a significant lack of forklift drivers in these areas.
The De Bortoli Wines program was aimed at bringing young people into the industry through training that provided multiple pathways of entry.
How it Worked
The program exposed participants to different areas of operation, including logistics and warehousing, laboratory, production and cellar. All training was completed on-site at De Bortoli at no charge to the organisation, resulting in the following capabilities:
Both supervisors and participants provided feedback throughout program. For the participants, this significantly increased their employability within the wine and agriculture sectors in the Griffith region.